SUMMER AGYLES: The Angel's Gatekeeper
by Emerald Sonata
Summary: Nexus Brigade is undergoing a long and hard journey that will involve trials from the past and the present, of light and dark. He searches for something he believes to be more important than his lost memory.
1. Prologue

_**Everything written here is under the direct ownership of **_**Emerald Sonata**_** and the **_**DIVINE ULTIMATRIUM**_**.  
Any non-original subjects will be tagged with '*' next to it and will be given a proper sourcing.**_

**[Inspired by **_**AIR**_**, both anime and manga]**

* * *

**SUMMER AGYLES****  
**_**The Angel's Gatekeeper**_**  
{Prologue}**

Dawn arose behind the horizon, casting its rays of golden light across the ocean sea. Diamond-flashes glimmered across the ocean face, the light expanding towards the closest reach of a pair of islands. The islands were small, but cozy, as they bathed under the warm sun. One was smaller than the other, with a large but dormant volcano as its only inhabitant. The other held the life of a small town, quietly awakening to the call of morning.

There was a small cottage on top of a rocky cliff that stood over the shuffling shores. It was small, homey, and looked abandoned for some time, yet clutched onto a sense of youth to it. The sun's light slowly etched into the cottage through the sealed balcony doors.

The inside of the cottage looked bland, having nothing but: a leather couch, an old mahogany table, several chairs, and a sole grand-father clock. Not a single picture existed; neither did any other objects of decoration. The house looked ready for sale, with several sample furniture to add with it. Still, thick layers of dust lay across every square inch of the house. It was as if no one has lived inside it for years.

Within an empty bedroom, there was nothing but a single bed covered by a blue blanket. Strangely, there was something underneath that blanket. It was as if a human was curled up under the covers, like an infant within its mother's womb. For long and quiet moment, nothing stirred.

The being underneath the blanket twitched its legs, its knees tucked close to the chest. Slowly, they extended out. The being uncurled itself, the blankets inflating into several directions. A soft yawn stretched into the stale air.

The blankets rose up, like an awakening human. An unbelievably thick layer of dust rolled across the blanket's ends, as if not tended for more than decades. Finally, the covers slipped off.

Why, it was a young human girl that sat on the bed, no older than 17. She had long silky blonde hair that was tied in a long ponytail with a lengthy white ribbon, had tired but blazingly gorgeous blue eyes, and her complexion was gentle, innocent, and down-to-earth.

She rubbed her eyes with curled fists as she lightly moaned. She gave out a wide stretch. Suddenly, she froze and realized something. Her arms fell limp by her side; her head turning this way and that. The Girl's eyes widen, as if shocked. She immediately felt her face in disbelief. Her gaze lowered down to her pale and slender hands. She was speechless, but lightly gasped. Soon, her lips stretched into a wide smile.

She laughed like a happy child as she bounced up and down on her bed in excitement. Dust then followed, forming shadowy mists in their rise. It eventually curled up and tickled the Girl's nose. She was stopped from her excitement as she felt a sharp sensation running up her nose.

A squeak of a sneeze sounded off.

Thick clouds of dust burst out of the Girl's open bedroom door, charging into the empty house's living room. From within the heart of the sickening smoke-dust, a slender figure rushed out of the room. It scurried away from the clouds and ran straight for the balcony window. Without looking, the figure crashed into it and faltered back with a muffled yelp. It fumbled for a way to open it as the smoke rose thicker and thicker. As if a miracle had appeared, the figure was able to push aside the balcony door.

The Girl doubled over the railing and let out a loud gasp. She coughed as she struggled to breathe. She slid off and sat down with her knees together. She sneezed a few times before looking up, wearily staring out through the bars of the balcony railing. Again, she stopped; this time, she was in awe.

She saw the beach before her, with the rising sun's ray reaching towards her from the glittering horizon. Her eyes danced under the light, entranced by its natural beauty. Then, she stood up to her feet and walked off the balcony's ladder towards the shores.

[******]

The sea rolled across the beach with a gentle purr. It smoothed out the sands in its wake as it pulled back into the ocean. A pair of delicate bare feet strolled across the wet sand. The Girl was quiet as she walked across the edge of the beach. Her eyes never left the horizon. She stopped and turned her body to face it, staring at the waking sun with yearning eyes. She tried to speak, but not a single word left her tongue.

The Girl collapsed to her knees and doubled over. She grasped at her heart as her face twisted in pain. She struggled to get words out; they refuse to be said. The Girl reached her other hand to her throat, as if to pry off an invisible grip to free herself. She stopped her shaking of pain and sat up straight, giving up. Understanding her attempt to be futile, she released a painful sigh.

A shining tear drop fell from the edge of her cheek. Her eyes were deep with solemnity as she gazed at the horizon. She sniffed back several tears and lightly wiped them off. That was when she stared at the sand. It was blank, clean, and smooth. A tiny crab crawled by her bath, leaving small tracks in its path.

A thought blinked into her mind. She took a moment to stare at the sand…then to her index finger.

Her single touch dipped into face of the sand like a kiss. Tenderly, the Girl guided her hand in a series of smooth strokes that made their mark. She hoped this would remedy the trouble in her heart. Trailing off in completion, her finger retreated to let her eyes have one good look.

Words were engraved into the beach shore:

**N E ****X U S**

The Girl sniffed back her tears and reached out her hand. She touched the muddied dust that surrounding the single word, caressing it as if it were a familiar face. The glint her eyes faded with sadness. However, the beam of her smile grew with that of hope.

Silently, she watched as the warm waves roll over her sacred words…erasing them out of existence…

**[ =+= Continued On =+= ]**

* * *

**[By the heart of: **_**~Emerald Sonata~**_**]**


	2. Chapter 1

_**Everything written here is under the direct ownership of **_**Emerald Sonata**_** and the **_**DIVINE ULTIMATRIUM**_**.  
Any non-original subjects will be tagged with '*' next to it and will be given a proper sourcing.**_

**[Inspired by **_**AIR**_**, both anime and manga]**

* * *

**SUMMER AGYLES****  
**_**The Angel's Gatekeeper**_**  
{Chapter 1}**

"Hey you, boy!"

"Hmm?" The dull blue eyes of Nexus Brigade awakened to the stream of morning light, as well as the loud voice. He rubbed his eyes awake and looked around, "Who's there?"

"Down here!"

Nexus perked his head up at the voice. He was sitting across a thin yet sturdy branch of a tree; the sparkle of light scattering across his body from the dancing cracks of its leaves. Nexus looked around again, not knowing where the deep voice was coming from. He finally remembered the voice's last words. Without a reply, he slid off the branch and dropped half of his body hanging out from under the leaves. Upside-down, he came eye-to-sunglasses with a park ranger. He folded his thick-jacketed arms and adjusted the brim of his ranger hat, staring at Nexus from behind his air-cadet fashioned sunglasses.

Nexus cracked a cheery grin, "Ah, good morning."

"Get – down – _now_…" growled the park ranger. Nexus chuckled and disappeared back into the tree tops. With a nasty twist of his lip, the park ranger rolled up his sleeves to give chase. Just then, Nexus sprang down from the tree and landed in a crouch right before the ranger. He staggered back with surprise, but regained his posture as quickly as he could, "What in tar-nations were you doing up in that tree, boy?"

"What was I doing?" wondered Nexus. The ranger returned a slow and deliberate nod. Nexus scratched a finger across his cheek in curiosity, "I was sleeping. Why do you ask?" The ranger raised an eyebrow and took a closer look at the boy.

Nexus appeared to be 18 years old with soft and spiky brown hair, wearing nothing but a simple set of grey clothing: jacket, shirt, and sweatpants. His unnatural dull-blue eyes quizzically stared right back at the ranger, giving off an aura of unknown wisdom and experience.

"Is something the matter officer?" the boy wondered.

"Are you new here?" the ranger interrogated. Nexus returned a nod. "Then why aren't you staying at someone's home or pay for a room at a hotel or something?"

"Well, barging into someone's house for the sake of one's comfort is not a nice thing to do," replied Nexus, grinning without a care. A vein pulsed across the ranger's forehead, "And I don't see any problem in sleeping outside. It's always nice to be with nature, don't you agree."

"Enough, boy…Now, tell me where you come from or at least give me your contact information!" muttered the ranger, feet tapping, "I'm planning to have a chat with your parents for this."

"I have no parents."

The park ranger fell flat quiet. No parents? And this boy said it so…casual. He shrugged it off, clearing his deep throat as he continued, "Guardians perhaps?" Nexus shook his head with smile, not bothered at all. The ranger had enough as he unfurled his tensing arms, "Listen boy, stop playing games with me and tell me straight: why are you on this island if you have no place stay; have no parents or guardians to support you; and trespassing on property during non-designated hours?"

Nexus took a long moment before answering with a cheerful grin. The ranger grimaced, before sniffing in the air to follow up with, 'You a runaway or something?'. However, the answer came before he made the suggestion real.

"I'm looking for something."

"…And what may that be?"

Nexus had a half-grin on his saddening face, "…I'm sorry, I don't know…I kind of forgotten it a long time ago…"

"That's it! You're coming with—"

"I'm sorry, Officer." The ranger perked his head up with realization. While he was angrily munching his words out, he failed to notice the boy walking away from him. Wh-what the? When did he get there so fast? The boy, Nexus, took a moment to look back at the ranger from over his shoulder, returning a friendly wave, "My apologies, I have a ferry to catch. If I remember what I'm looking for, and come back, I'll be sure to ask for your help. Good-bye!"

"HEY!" hollered the ranger. The boy was off, wandering far from the ranger's pace. He gave out an irritated grunt as he straightened his jacket. He shook his head with a furious groan, "Looking for something he's forgotten…Tch, kids today…"

[******]

Nexus wandered onto the sidewalks within the middle of the city, grasping carefully onto a cup of piping hot chocolate. The steam rolled up in front of his searching eyes, quietly scanning his surroundings. He saw buildings, areas, and other grounds that were familiar to him. Still it did not hurt to double check, he thought with a chuckle. He looked around, a faint sense of desperation flickering in his eyes. With a sigh, he took a deep gulp from his hot chocolate.

After a minute, he passed by a trash can and tossed the empty cup inside; fresh steam still dance. His shoulders sagged as at a hopeful thought, "Wonder if I can find what I'm looking for again…" He shrugged it off, trailing by the side of a long metal railing. He turned to his left, staring over it.

He saw the beach right next to him, divided from the town territory by that metal railing. Clean and exotic sand lied across the shore, the ocean wave gently rolling in to smooth them out. A dreamy smile widened on his face, but it slowly flattened when his eyes caught an interesting sight. Nexus came to a halt and approached closer towards the railing, his eyes glimmering at a certain sight.

Across the beach, he saw a young girl equal to his age. She had long flowing blonde hair tied by a silky white ribbon and wore a gentle white dress. She gracefully waltzed around in a smooth circle, her arms holding onto an invisible partner, and her eyes closed with a dazzling smile. Her movements swayed in cadence with the ocean waves, stepping side-to-side and bending her back in a slight dip. Despite people nearby on the beach no one seemed to pay any attention to her, neither did she to them. She could not help a dreamy giggle.

Nexus felt drawn towards the girl as he leaned against the railing. His eyes stared at her for a long time, not wishing to break the silence. He tilted his head in interest as the girl twirled around with her invisible dance partner. A soft and nostalgic feeling stirred within Nexus, blurry thoughts starting to scatter across his mind.

"That's cute…" chuckled Nexus. Sirens howled and tires madly screeched, piercing the peaceful air. Nexus' thoughts were dashed into a rain of broken glass, cluttering back deep into the abyss of his mind. He slowly turned to look over his shoulder, a wondering look across his expression. In a flash he saw an armored van being chased by several barking police cruisers, right before they all vanished around a corner. Nexus grimaced and straightened his back, following the chase himself in a steady stride, "That isn't."

[******]

"Watch out!" screamed a robber. The leader of the heist yanked the armored van's main wheel to one side. The massive vehicle sped down the street in an insane speed, tires screeching on a deep turn. It dangerously swayed over to one side, causing all four robbers of the heist to hold their breaths as they gripped at whatever they can for support. Their leader gave out a loud groan and threw his body to one side. The van soon ran on all four wheels and zipped off from its pursuers.

"Hey boss, do you think this is a good idea?" screeched a robber.

"Of course, it's _**my**_ idea!" retorted the leader.

"What now, boss? The cops are all over us!" called back another robber.

"I'm thinkin', I'm think—" The leader gagged when his eyes spotted something in the middle of the road before him. A young boy in a grey outfit stepped onto the center of the street, as if to block the van from continuing further, "Out of the way, kid!"

As if reading his thoughts, Nexus casually grinned and shook his head. The leader was taken aback, but ignored his conscious. Without a second thought, his foot slammed into the gas pedal. The armored van roared even louder than ever and galloped forward twice as fast.

Nothing can possibly stop the renegade vehicle. Nexus did not yield as he breathed out a whisper.

"_Mysterium_…"

Everything inside the van jolted to an abrupt halt. From the sudden counter-force, all four robbers were whipped forward and utterly fell out-cold from their landing. As for the leader, he quickly regained his senses and tried to figure out what happened. He choked on his breath when he saw everything outside – which should have been a blur – was frozen. His foot subconsciously squished the gas-pedal, but his ears only heard screeches of friction. Before he knew it, the scenery dropped out of his sight and he felt the van being lifted up into the air. After a quick and shocking flip the van struck back down into the earth upside down, sending him rocketing into the roof of the vehicle.

All fell silent as the tires of the van limply turned, melted and charred from extreme over-use. The vehicle was crumbled up like a half-crushed soda can, sparks flaring everywhere across its upturned bottom. The loose backdoors were kicked open by a quivering leg. Soon, a body pulled itself out and tumbled across the cracked asphalt.

The leader staggered up to his feet, his mind still shaking from the fall. As soon as his ringing ears picked up the wailings of sirens, his body became alert and quickly limped away on their own. Again a figure stepped out from in front of the broken van, a casual grin still on his face that the leader spitefully hated.

"YOU!" He lashed out a loaded handgun and instantly aimed it at Nexus. His thumb pulled back the hammer and he pulled the trigger without a second thought. Right before his finger could pull all the way back, a shining object zipped by and knocked it out of his hands. He pulled the trigger…of empty air. "H-Huh?" He pulled again and again, thinking his gun went faulty. It soon dawned to him that his weapon was no longer in his hand. Not waiting for an explanation, he glared at Nexus…but paled a bit.

Was it just him from the crash…or were the boy's eyes burning electryfing ice-blue.

Rage possessed him, stomping over the fear. His veins and muscles bulged, eyes widened with a mad-fury. He sprinted forward, clenching an adrenaline filled fist, straight at Nexus with a lung-breaking scream, "OUT OF MY WAY!"

"If you say so," chuckled Nexus, his eyes no longer bright. The boy nonchalantly stepped to one side, in time to avoid a heavy fist from the leader. Just as Nexus stepped aside, the leader's face met with seven flashes of light.

_**THWACK!**_

His torso was struck backward by a sudden force as his feet flew forward. Altogether, his entire body flipped forward and crumbled face-first into the ground. Nexus flinched at the landing, nervously scratching his cheek with a sheepish grin.

"S-sorry…" uttered Nexus. With that, the boy wandered off. The leader's body was quiet and still, but twitched at the sounds of approaching sirens, storm of authoritative feet, and drawing of pistols.

[******]

"Hah…all that before the end of an afternoon," sighed Nexus. He came to his final steps on top of a tall staircase, in the middle of a busy ferry terminal. His eyes blankly gazed around him, both at coming and going passengers and several fast-ferries that bobbed in the water. He had a lost look as he stared down at the ground.

"Looks like it isn't here either…Wonder where to next?" Nexus thought it over, "Germany? No already been there; France? Hmm, not even the Eiffel Tower could've helped me; America…nah, already checked and it was twice as exhausting than China…South Africa…" A fearful shiver ran down his spine, "Ugh…I hate lions…" Again, he let out a long and tired sigh, "That's almost everywhere…" A possible idea skipped into his mind, "Maybe the moon next…No, I can't. That organization NASA will never let me, no matter what I say."

Nexus stopped and gazed up at the clear blue sky, with hoping eyes.

"Will I ever be able to find what I'm looking for?" The wind answered his question with a soft whisper, letting him breath in its fresh fragrance. He let out a relaxed breath and gave himself a confident nod, "No matter what, just keep on trying and I'll eventually find it." With a cheerful chuckle, he made his way towards a nearby fast-ferry. In his steps, he hummed a pleasant and exotic tune.

The wind brushed against his face again, as well as whispering a sweet voice into his ear. To his astonishment the voice was singing the song that he was humming, only with the lyrics he had long forgotten.

'_**OS IUSTI MEDITABITUR SAPIENTIAM'*  
**_**[The mouth of the just shall meditate wisdom]**

As if fear had struck him, Nexus staggered to a halt. His eyes widen and his breath quickened. He listened to the singing voice, a nostalgic feeling churning inside him. As the song continued the voice became crystal clear, intertwined with the wind itself. Nexus was speechless as he traced the voice, coming from the island's beach in the far distance.

[******]

Back on the beach, it has been busily occupied by tourists and relaxing townspeople. Men and women happily joined together in swimming and sun-tanning as children build sand-castles with laughter. Among the bright atmosphere, they all failed to notice a voice that traveled in the wind around them.

It was as if they could not hear it at all.

'_**ET LINGUA EIUS LOQUETUR IUDICIUM'*  
**_**[And his tongue shall speak judgment]**

The voice had emanated from the Girl.

Seated across the metal railings, her gentle feet swung back and forth like an innocent child. The Girl's body radiated a dim glow and her eyes gazed deeply at the glittering horizon, a happy and peaceful feeling swelling within her. Her delicate lips moved to mouth her words, letting the enchanted wind sing on her behalf.

'_**BEATUS VIR QUI SUFFERIT TENTATIONEM'***_**  
[Blessed the man who resists temptation]**

[******]

"How…" gulped Nexus, anxiety buzzing in his stomach, "how does she know that song?" He immediately bolted into a run. From the terminal docks, Nexus dashed down the long flight of stairs and pushed through several people on his way. An eager and worried expression took over his formerly calm and docile face.

"Wh-who is she? How could she know this song?" A possibly dawned onto him, shattering his once calm and docile complexion, "Is…she my answer?"

**[ =+= Continued On =+= ]**

* * *

The song used in this story is called _'Lilum'_, the opening theme for the anime _Elfen Lied_.  
Lyrics found from Anime-Lyrics(dot)com.

**[By the heart of: **_**~Emerald Sonata~**_**]**


	3. Chapter 2

_**Everything written here is under the direct ownership of **_**Emerald Sonata**_** and the **_**DIVINE ULTIMATRIUM**_**.  
Any non-original subjects will be tagged with '*' next to it and will be given a proper sourcing.**_

**[Inspired by **_**AIR**_**, both anime and manga]**

* * *

**SUMMER AGYLES****  
**_**The Angel's Gatekeeper**_**  
{Chapter 2}**

"Uwah, what a pretty summer sun!" squealed Fiona in excitement.

"Better enjoy it while it lasts. Before you know it, it's back to rehearsals again," chuckled Riley.

Fiona, a 16 year old girl with lively orange hair and a cute round face, pouted her lips, "Oh…the Summer Festival is going to start in a few more days…do you think the stage manager will push us even harder than before?"

Riley, a 17 year old boy with medium-length auburn hair, returned a curt and care-free nod. Together, they both walked down the quiet sidewalks, passing a gate of the town's ferry terminal. Fiona fanned herself with a small hand to ward off the warm air from her face.

"No doubt about it…" replied Riley. Fiona groaned as she lightly kicked her feet at the ground, with Riley shaking his head. The two came to a short stopped and turned to look behind them, "What do you think, Julio?"

"Hm? What was that?"

Julio came to a halt behind his two friends and blankly gazed at them. He was 18 years old, with short curly blond hair, a handsome yet shy complexion, and had blazing emerald eyes. He wore a clean white and ruffled dress-shirt with unbutton cuffs and a pair of black dress pants. His feet were donned with a pair of slim and comfortable shoes, ones that were meant to dance at a professional level. Julio nervously chuckled as Fiona and Riley gave them a mischievous look.

"Day dreaming again, Julio?" wondered Riley.

"N-no of course not," waved off Julio.

"Eh~? Aren't you at least worried about our performance for the Summer Festival? Besides, _you're_ our star," grinned Fiona, "Who knows, maybe Sally might focus the slave-driving on you." Julio's smile crippled. He tried to laugh it off, but his shaky tone betrayed him.

"Ab-Absurd! The stage manager will never do something like that…right?"

Fiona and Riley leaned in as close as possible towards Julio, a frightening smirk on their faces as Julio staggered back, "As if!" A shiver went up Julio's spine at the thought of working overtime.

"Ha-ha…maybe my talent shouldn't have been dancing in the first place," he anxiously chuckled.

"Out of the way! Coming through!"

Together, Julio, Fiona, and Riley broke off from their conversation and turned. To their surprise, they saw a young boy with brown hair and strange dull-blue eyes racing down the steps. A frantic look could be seen on his face as he leapt over multiple steps in several bounds.

Julio blinked, "Wonder what's his hurry?"

Nexus came to the last flight of stairs and began to make his final descent. At the last minute, his feet tripped over each other. Losing his balance, he toppled over with a cry.

"UWAH!"

"AH! WA-WATCH—" Too late. Julio shut his eyes from the following event, flinching each time a voice crashed onto every step.

"OW! ACK! GAH! TOH! EEK!…WHOA!"

Without a chance to avoid, Nexus crashed into Julio and they both were sent sprawling into the ground with a loud thud. Riley winced as Fiona screeched. After a dazing moment, Julio was lying across his back with a blank and wide-awake look, while Nexus was sprawled face-first across the concrete. Fiona and Riley dashed to Julio's side, with the girl yanking him up by the collar of his shirt and roughly shook him awake.

"Julio! Julio! Wake up! You got to wake up!" she shrieked.

"I _am_ awake…" breathed Julio. Fiona halted her shaking, her eyes on the verge of exaggerated tears. She stared right at Julio's opened eyes, as he gave her an awkward look, "I'm fine." Fiona instantly dropped him back onto the ground with a soft plop and nervously giggled.

"Well, that's good to know! Sally will have my head if she found out her star performer is out for the count," jittered Fiona, gulping with sweat-like-rain rolling down her forehead, "literally."

"I feel touched by your concern, Fiona. I thank you…" Julio turned his head to stare at Nexus, still lying face down, "Riley, how is he?" Before Riley could even step over to check, Nexus sprung awake with miraculous recovery. Julio bolted sitting up, with Fiona tightly hugging him in shear fear, "F-Fiona! Not so tight!"

"Sorry about that!" called back Nexus, scrambling to his feet, "I have to find what I'm looking for before I lose it. If I meet with you again, I will offer my sincerest apologies. Good-bye!" Nexus broke off into a speedy dash and disappeared into the town.

Fiona and Riley blankly blinked, unsure of what to say next. Julio felt a deep sense of curiosity from Nexus as he slowly stood up with Fiona's help, "Riley…did you get what he just said?"

Riley shrugged, "Not a word. He was speaking so fast, I was impressed that he didn't trip over his tongue in doing so…"

[******]

The Girl at the beach kept her seat on the metal railing. She looked around, taking interest in her active surroundings. She continued to sing the beautiful song with the wind.

_**QUONIAM CUM PROBATUS FUERIT*  
ACCIPIET CORONAM VITAE*  
**_**[For when proved he shall**_**  
**_**receive the crown of life]**

She then saw a pair of children running through a group of teenagers. Together they dashed with each other, hand-in-hand, as they laughed in innocence. A dreamy smile grew on her tender lips as she watched them pass. Her pale hands lightly folded over one another and softly gripped them. The Girl raised her voice higher through the wind, as if to let her song reach out to the heavenly blue skies.

_**KYRIE, IGNIS DIVINE, ELEISON*  
**_**[Lord, Divine Fire, have mercy]**

[******]

"Where are you? Who are you?" Nexus screeched down the sidewalk of the town, dodging left and right through gaps between pedestrians. Determined to find the source of the song, he skidded around a corner and bolted into a tireless sprint, "Are you my answer? E-eh? GAH!" He suddenly realized that he was heading straight towards something: a barricade of furniture surrounded by a group of movers.

Nexus instantly steeled himself and increased his speed. With a leap, he cleared right over the entire obstacle. Men nearby were taken aback by his sudden feat, but Nexus did not linger to gain their attention and continued on. Soon, his next obstacle came into full view.

Down his path was a busy and lively grand-opening of a small store. The mayor of the town gave a toothy smile to every camera around him, as he still held both his golden scissors and an un-cut ribbon. Nexus' eyes rolled, "Oh, come on!" Without the crowd's notice, he skidded to a halt behind them and zipped off into a nearby alleyway.

At the end of that alleyway, a pair of high school girls in uniform huddled closely to each other in dreaded fear. A pair of bulky shadows loomed over them as they whimpered under their breaths. Two thuggish men stood before them, one rubbing his hands with a smirk while the other played with a small chain. They started to move in on their helpless prey.

"Heads up!"

The two men perked their heads up and turned to the sudden voice. Coming straight at them was Nexus, his speed increasing even faster than normal. He vaulted straight into the air, right over the two thugs.

_**CRACK! SMACK!**_

His foot firmly stomped onto their faces like stepping stones and he cleared them without much effort. The two thugs collapsed onto the ground, a footprint on each of their unconscious faces. Nexus did not stop and ran right by the girls. They stood up, a wave of relief overcoming them.

"Thank you!" they waved. Nexus took a moment to glance over his shoulder and wave back.

"Next time be careful, okay?"

_**O QUAM SANCTA, QUAM SERENA*  
**_**[O how holy, how serene]**

Nexus appeared out of the alley and onto a different part of the city. He whirled around, listening for the direction of the voice. Instead, his ears picked up frantic ringing of bicycle-bells. He turned to them. Without warning, three cyclists were astonished by his sudden appearance from the alleyway. Their bikes failed in skidding to a safe halt. Unfazed, Nexus stepped to one side, letting the cyclists zip harmlessly right by him. Ignoring the series of crashes behind him, he ran off after the voice.

"Please…wait for me! Wait for me!"

_**QUAM BENIGNA, QUAM AMOENA***__**  
**_**[How benevolent, how comforting]**

The eyes of Nexus' brightened as he finally spotted the source from where the song was coming from: the beach. A smile of every ounce of hope shone across his eager face.

[******]

_**O CASTITATIS LIL—**__***  
**_**[O Lily of Chas—]**

A beach ball bounced off the top of the Girl's head, interrupting her altogether in surprise. She lightly rubbed the top of her forehead as she searched for the object. She found the beach ball bobbing on the spot, rolling back and forth. With curiosity she stared at the round and inflated orb with an air of intrigue, reaching out a hand to touch its colourful surface. Before her fingers could made contact, another pair of hands appeared and grasped at the ball.

The Girl looked up to see a young woman in a bathing suit, wearing an overlarge t-shirt on top. The woman turned, without any word of apology, and bumped the beach ball back to her friends. As if the Girl had never existed before the woman's eyes, she returned to the side of her companions. The Girl rubbed the top of her head and brightened with a forgiving smile.

"NO, WAIT!"

The Girl sprang up in her seat and turned to the voice to her left. Before she could get a good look at the voice's owner, a young boy tripped over his feet and crashed straight onto the ground. Face-first, he painfully skidded to a halt very close to where she sat. In silence, she stared down at the strange boy. He sprung up to his hands and knees and turned to sit up, his back turned to the Girl. Concerned, she reached out a hand towards him. Before her fingers could touch the back of his neck, he had leaned forward and stood back up. She withdrew her hand, gave the boy a quiet and worried look, and then slowly turned back to gaze at the ocean horizon.

Nexus spun around and slapped the dust off his body with a groan, "Darn it…I was so close to finding her!" With a long and deep sigh, he plopped himself backwards to balance against the metal railing, "Wonder who could she be…And how in the world did she know that song…" A quiet look crossed his face, his voice whispering, "A song…only I know…" His shoulders sagged and he turned his head to look around.

His eyes caught a glimpse of the Girl, silent and resign, before he looked away. He paused, however, and hesitantly did a double take. He stared at the Girl, somehow feeling drawn to her. It was like…he had met her somewhere before…but where and when? He scoured all the memory he had at hand…every one drawing a blank reference. Oh well, he shrugged, doubt he could even figure it out anytime soon. After a minute to gather his wits, he dared himself to ask his question.

"Uh…Excuse me, have you heard a girl sing—"

Clouds of black smoke filled the air around him, choking Nexus completely off-guard. The Girl too sniffed the air and choked from the sickening fumes. They violently coughed as the smoke continued to swell around them. For a moment, Nexus glanced through his watering eyes at the source. It spewed out from a crumbled exhaust of a beat-up delivery scooter. Its rider was completely oblivious as he strapped on his helmet and gloves, revving the engine to get it started. Unable to bear it, Nexus turned away from the scooter and struggled for air.

The Girl frantically bolted up to her feet, but suddenly lost her balance across the railing and she slipped forward with a surprised squeak.

The scooter finally revved off across the street, shortly fading into the distance with a blood-curdling bang from its engine. Nexus waved off the remnants of the smoke. Once the smoke cleared, he let out a tired sigh. He turned back to finish his question, but froze.

The Girl was no longer sitting across the metal railing. Nexus turned around, searching for any traces of her. None could be found. Again, Nexus's shoulder sagged in defeat, but shortly straightened out. With a light tap of his fingers across the railing, he glanced out at the blazing ocean horizon as he made his way off, to continue his search from scratch. A whisper of silent confidence flickered in the air.

"Whoever you are…I'll find you…I promise…"

[******]

The Girl coughed as she was lying upside down across the sand. She had fallen off her seat, her legs against the side of the metal railing. Pushing herself sitting back up, all with a frown, as she combed the sand out of her hair. What stopped her was a weak and frantic chirping sound that made her ears twitch.

Close by, a group of children surrounding a small creature. It was a Magpie, with an injured wing. The children innocently ganged up on it, poking the tiny being with sticks and half-burying it with trickles of sand. The bird was practically defenceless against these giant younglings.

As if God sought mercy for it, a parent called out to the children for snacks. Forgetting what they were doing in the first-place, they left the Magpie alone.

The bird shook its body to shuffle off the sands from its feathers, single-winged-ly flapping the rest off. It peeped a series of crestfallen chirps…until a rather large shadow veiled over it. A little worried, it hesitantly looked up to the blocked-out sky.

An ogre of shadows towered it, faceless under the darkness.

The Magpie bolted, hopping feebly without the support of its wings. The ogre pursued and the miniature creature picked up its pace with panicking chirps, hopping like a mad hu_man_. Hands snatched out at it, but it quickly leapt out of its reach. It felt the monster was coming closer and closer. As if psychic, the creature quickly bounced up into the air as the ogre dove for it, who now had driven itself into the ground. The Magpie plopped down onto the ogre's head, sliding down a strange golden-blonde slide of silk, before bouncing itself across its white spine. It finally leapt off at the field of white and made tracks for its life.

It stopped, though, when it heard a faint whimpering sound. When did ogres whimper? Slowly, it jumped about on the spot.

The Girl popped her face out from the sands, spitting, coughing, and slapping all of it off her face. She shook her head to ruffle the dust out of her hair, before she looked around for the Magpie she was trying to catch.

When she turned around, the two creatures of God made eye-contact.

The Magpie gave a soft chirp, head tilted in curiosity. The Girl blinked, her head cocked to one side with a perplexed look.

They just stared at each in silence, ignoring life as if went around them.

The stillness was broke with a gasp, causing the Magpie to jump. The Girl went down on all fours, bringing her face closer to inspect its broken wing. The bird glimpsed at it itself, before back at the girl. It saw a pain expression painted across her soft complexion; like as if it was her own arm that was the broken one.

Without saying anything, she tore off a strip of her dress and picked up a pair of small pieces of bark. Together she made a makeshift, yet sturdy, splint for the Magpie's wing. It stared at it for a while before gratefully turning to the Girl with a delighted chirp. Relief waltz over her happy expression, a small giggle escaping her lips.

She folded her hands together, to form a human-cup, and lowered it before the Magpie. No longer intimidated by her huge scale, the Magpie hopped into her palms without a single qualm.

The Girl stood back up to her feet, with the Magpie in her hand, and began to look around her surroundings for something. The Magpie called out, catching her attention. It gave a series of chirping, as to tell her something important.

Understanding completely, the Girl nodded with a smile.

[******]

The Magpie nervously twittered as it sat across the top of the Girl's head. She struggled to climb up a tree that was raised along the sidewalks. Her hands and feet tightly gripped at the thin, yet strong, bark as she rose her way upwards. Her footing would slip from time to time, but she persevered and dug her toes deeper into any possible depression in the tree's trunk.

The Girl finally reached a pair of branches and in between she glimpsed at a nest. With every ounce of strength she had, she balanced herself against the tree and took the Magpie into her one hand. Gently, she set the small creature back into its nest. The Magpie gladly peeped and a shaky smile of relief crossed her face.

Suddenly, her foot slipped. Ultimately, her entire body lost its hold and she fell back down to the concrete earth with a surprised squeak; followed by a dull and thick thud.

Dazed, the Girl sat back up and rubbed the side of her hip. She tried to stand, but flinched at a surge of pain from her knee. Her eyes lowered and stared right over a painful scrape across her knee-cap. Her fingers lightly touched it, causing her to wince. A crestfallen look came over her saddening face and she was on the verge of tears. That was when the Magpie called down to bring up her eyes.

The Magpie chirped again and disappeared behind its nest for a moment. Confused, all the Girl could do was blink and tilt her head. Before she knew it something was dropped from the air and into her lap, causing her to jump, clasp her face shut, and gave a short _'eep'_. Silence followed and nothing else happening. The Girl peeked through her fingers, one bare eye glimpsing left and right before down. The next moment, her hands peeled away with an look of astonishment brightening on her face.

A bright, twinkling, and oh-so lovely diamond ring sat across her lap! She was utterly captivated by it as she picked it up into her fingers, examining it as if it were a brand-new toy. She hugged it close to her chest, like a cherished possession.

The Magpie gave a happy chirp, before it straightened is tiny body to give a gracious and humble bow.

The Girl happily shared a giggle with the creature, holding the diamond ring close to her chest in complete gratitude. A thankful smile danced across her lips, as bright as the morning sun.

**[ =+= Continued On =+= ]**

* * *

The song used in this story is called _'Lilum'_, the opening theme for the anime _Elfen Lied_.  
Lyrics found from Anime-Lyrics(dot)com.

**[By the heart of: **_**~Emerald Sonata~**_**]**


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